Railway car trucks



March l2, 1963 c. E. TACK ET AL RAILWAY CAR TRUCKS Filed March 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Shget l 2- 6 2 March 12, 1963 c. E. TACK ET AL RAILWAY CAR TRUCKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 1961 m m x ULM i8 MZINVENTORS.

iff/1MM /f United States Patent Ohce Patented Mar. 12, 1963 This invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to trucks for low level llat cars adapted for use in transporting highway trailers, automobiles, etc.

At the present time, the railroads are engaged in the transportation of large numbers of highway trailers and automobiles on flat cars, the trailers usually being secured to the cars by means of stanchions, and Ithe automobiles being mounted on racks secured to the cars. In the transportation of these vehicles on lflat cars, it is desirable to provide low level trucks to lower the center of gravity and thereby reduce transverse rolling or swaying of a loaded car. It is also necessary to provide ilat cars with low level trucks for use in transporting trailers, etc. through some tunnels and underpasses having low ceilings or overhead structures which prevent the passage of loaded ca-rs exceeding a certain height.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a self-aligning spring plankless railway car truck in which the parts are formed and arranged to reduce the height of railway cars. Y

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a railway car truck in which spring groups are mounted in spring seat pockets formed on side frames to resiliently support a rbolster at a lower operating elevation.

Another object of the inventionresides in theprovision of a bolster having downwardly facing pockets adjacent it-s ends to receive t-he upper ends of helical compression springs.

The invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation showing one end of a railway truck embodying features of the invention, only half of the truck being shown as it is symmetrical on opposite sides of kits transverse center line.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, a self-aligning spring plankless low level truck for railway flat cars is shown as comprising a pair of cast steel side frames 2--2 interconnected by a cast steel bolster 3, the bolster being resiliently supported at its ends upon spring -groups 4 4 seated on their respective -side frames.

Each side frame 2 comprises a compression member 6 and a tension member 7 which converge toward the ends of the frame to merge with depending pedestal jaws 8 8 provided to receive conventional journal boxes 9. Wheel and axle assemblies 11 are journaled in the journal boxes 9 to `support the side frames at their ends and, to provide a low level truck for a llat car, 28 inch diameter onewear wheels -12 may be provided on each assembly, whereby the tension members 7 of the side frames are spaced, for example, -about 4 inches above the rails 13 and the upper surfaces of the compression members are spaced, for example, about 251/2 inches above the rails.

Each side frame 2 is provided with spaced columns 14 14 extending between and merging with the tension and compression members 6 and 7 to dene therewith a window 16 to receive an end of the bolster 3. Wear plates 17 17 are secured to the inner opposing faces of the columns for engagement by friction shoes 18-18 mounted in pockets 19 19 formed in Opposite sides of the bolster, the shoes being biased along wedge walls 20 in the pockets and into engagement against their respective wear plates by means of helical compression springs The portion of the side frame tension member 6 extending between the columns 14-14 is of box section comprising top and bottom walls 22 and 23 interconnected by inboard and outboard walls 24 and 26. Co planar horizontal inboard and outboard shelves 27 a-nd 28 extend laterally fr0-m their respective walls 24 and 26 adjacent the bottom wall 23 and merge with upward extending -anges 29 and 31, respectively. The ilanges 29 and 311 extend between and merge with the columns 14-14. Adjacent the columns, the flanges 29 and 31 also curve inwardly to merge with arcuate portions 301 of the side Walls 24 and 26 to detne four spring seat pockets 32 32 and 33 33 on the shelves 27 and 28, the pockets being formed to enclose the lower convolutions of their respective springs. The shelves are suitably reinforced by means of ribs 34 extending laterally from the walls 24 and 26 along the lower side of the shelves.

A center spring retainer lug 36 projects upwardly from the center of the top wall 22; and -side spring retainer lugs 37 and 38 project upwardly from their respective shelves 27 and 28. The retainer lugs are disposed in a common vertical plane extending transversely across the center of the side frame to engage the lower ends of their respective helical compression springs in the spring group 4.

Each end of the bolster 3 is of box section comprising a top wall 39, bottom wall 41 and side walls 42--42. Inboard and outboard aligning lugs 43 43 and 44-44 are formed on opposite sides of each end of the bolster to straddle and slidably engage opposite sides of the side frame columns 14-14. Aligning lugs 46-46 ar-e provided on the inboard sides of the columns 14 14 to lstraddle and slidably engage the inboard aligning lugs 4.3 43 on the bolster.

Each end of the bolster 3 is provided with a spring seat pocket 47 centrally positioned between its adjacent friction shoe pockets 19' 19. 'Ihe pocket 47 comprises an annular wall 48 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 41 and merging with an inner spring seat wall 49. In actual practice, the spacing between the walls 41 and 49 is substantially equal to the spacing between the wall 22 and shelves 27 28. i

As illustrated in FIGURE 3, each spring group 4 comprises corner spring groups 51 mounted in seats 32 32 and 33 33 on the shelves 27 and 28; side springs 52 mounted on the shelves 27 and 23 and engaged by retainer lugs 37 and 38; and a center spring 53 mounted on the top wall 22 and engaged by the retainer lug 36. The center spring 53 extends into the spring pocket 47 in the bolster, and the other springs in the group engage the bottom wall 41 of the bolster.

Heretofore, it has been conventional in the railway art to provide spring seats on a side frame coplanar with the top wall of the tension member. In the present invention, the shelves 27 and 23 and spring seats thereon extend laterally from the side walls 24 and 26 and adjacent the bottom wall 23 ofthe side frame tension member 7, thereby disposing the shelf spring seats several inches below the top wall 22 of the tension member, whereby the bolster 3 is spring supported at a lower level relative to the rails. To permit use of standard size center springs 53, the spring seat wall 49 is spaced upwardly from the bolster bottom wall 41 a distance equal to the spacing between the shelves 3 27-28 and the top wall 22 of the ltension member 7.

We claim:

1. In a self-aligning spring plankless low level railway car truck, having spaced side frames supported at their ends on wheel and axle assemblies, each side frame comprising tension and compression members interconnected by spaced columns to dene a bolster opening, the upper surface of -said compression member being spaced approximately 251/2 inches above the rails, the lower surface of said tension member being spaced approximately 4 inches above the rails, said tension member being of box section between said columns to provide top, bottom and side walls, inboard and outboard spring supporting shelves on said side walls below said top wall adjacent said bottom wall, helical compression springs directly seated on said shelves, and a bolster interconnecting said side frames and directly supported on said springs for vertical movement between said columns, said side walls having concave recesses to receive said springs.

2. In a self-aligning spring plankless low level railway car truck, having spaced side frames support-ed at. their ends on wheel and axle assemblies, each side frame comprising tension and compression members interconnected by spaced columns to dene a bolster opening, the upper surface of said compression member being spaced approximately 25% inches above the rails, the lower surface of said tension member being spaced approximately 4 inches above the rails, said tension member being of box section between said columns to provide top, bottom and side walls, inboard and outboard spring supporting shelves on said side walls below said top wall adjacent said bottom wall, helical compression springs directly seated on said shelves, a bolster interconnecting said side frames and directly supported on said springs for vertical movement between said columns, said side walls having concave recesses to receive said springs, a central helical com pression spring seated at its lower end on said top wall, said bolster having an annular spring pocket to receive the upper end of said central spring.

3. In a self-aligning spring plankless low level railway car truck, having spaced side frames supported at their ends on Wheels and axle assemblies, each side frame comprising tension and compression members interconnected by spaced columns to define a bolster opening, the upper surface of said compression member being spaced approximately 251/2 inches above the rails, the lower surface of said tension member being spaced approximately 4 inches above the rails, said tension member being of box section between said columns to provide top, bottom and side Walls, inboard and outboard spring supporting shelves on said side Walls below said top wall adjacent said bottom wall, helical compression springs directly seated on said shelves, a bolster interconnecting said side frames and directly supported on said springs for vertical movement between said columns, said side walls having concave recesses to receive said springs, a central helical compression spring seated at its lower end on said top wall, said bolster having an annular spring pocket to receive the upper end of said central spring, said pocket having a depth approximately equal to the vertical spacing between said top wall and said shelves.

4. In a self-aligning spring plankless low level railway car truck, having spaced side frames supported at their ends on wheel and axle assemblies, each side frame comprising tension and compression members interconnected by spaced columns to define a bolster opening, the upper surface of said compression member being spaced approximately 251/2 inches above the rails, the lower surface of said tension member being spaced approximately 4 inches above the rails, said tension member being of box section between said columns to provide top, bottom and side Walls, inboard and outboard spring supporting shelves on said side Walls below said top wall adjacent said bottom wall, helical compression springs directly seated on said shelves, and a bolster interconnecting said side frames and directly supported on said springs for vertical movement between said columns, said side walls having concave recesses to receive said springs, upwardly projecting anges extending along the shelves between said columns to define with said recesses a plurality of spring seat pockets.

5. In a self-aligning spring plankless low level railway car truck, having spaced side frames supported at their ends on wheel and axle assemblies, each side frame comprising tension and compression members interconnected by spaced columns to define a bolster opening, the upper surface of said compression member being spaced approximately 251/2 inches above the rails, the lower surface of said tension member being spaced approximately 4 inches above the rails, said tension member being of box section between said columns to provide top, bottom and side walls, inboard and outboard spring supporting shelves on said side Walls below said top wall adjacent said bottom wall, helical compression springs directly seated on -said shelves, and a bolster interconnecting said side frames and directly supported on said springs for vertical movement between said columns, said side walls having concave recesses to receive said springs, upwardly projecting anges extending along the shelves between said columns to dene with said recesses a plurality of spring seat pockets, the upper surface of said compression member being spaced approximately 211/2 inches above the lower surface of said tension member, said assemblies having 28 inch diameter one-wear wheels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,831,022 Martin Nov. 10, 1931 1,863,063 Martin June 14, 1932 2,413,433 Cottrell et al Dec. 31, 1946 2,670,695 Ramos Mar. 2, 1954 

1. IN A SELF-ALIGNING SPRING PLANKLESS LOW LEVEL RAILWAY CAR TRUCK, HAVING SPACED SIDE FRAMES SUPPORTED AT THEIR ENDS ON WHEEL AND AXLE ASSEMBLIES, EACH SIDE FRAME COMPRISING TENSION AND COMPRESSION MEMBERS INTERCONNECTED BY SPACED COLUMNS TO DEFINE A BOLSTER OPENING, THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID COMPRESSION MEMBER BEING SPACED APPROXIMATELY 25 1/2 INCHES ABOVE THE RAILS, THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID TENSION MEMBER BEING SPACED APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES ABOVE THE RAILS, SAID TENSION MEMBER BEING OF BOX SECTION BETWEEN SAID COLUMNS TO PROVIDE TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS, INBOARD AND OUTBOARD SPRING SUPPORTING SHELVES ON SAID SIDE WALLS BELOW SAID TOP WALL ADJACENT SAID BOTTOM WALL, HELICAL COMPRESSION SPRINGS DIRECTLY SEATED ON SAID SHELVES, AND A BOLSTER INTERCONNECTING SAID SIDE FRAMES AND DIRECTLY SUPPORTED ON SAID SPRINGS FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID COLUMNS, SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING CONCAVE RECESSES TO RECEIVE SAID SPRINGS. 